Letters From Ray: A World War II Army Privates Letters Home - Pt 7

December 12, 1944

Dear Gram,

Just a line to keep you from worrying and to tell you I’m no longer in “sunny” Italy.  I’m now in equally sunny France.  I don’t know which is worse, the mud in Italy or the mud in France.  One things for damned sure, there both wet.  This is a heck of a way to be fighting a war.

I managed to get to see the famous port of Marsielles.  Quite a town, I had a lot of fun while I was there.  I’ve come quite a long way since I first hit ?over.  Been all over North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and now France.  I’m quite content to leave for USA right now.  Speaking of Linda Berg (my sister) (actually my dad wife died long ago) and after --?? Ago- he married my mother—“amanda” who was Berthae sister

[SM1] 

We had 5 boys in the Keller family- PS one boy (would’ve been the 6^th only lived 20 minutes how do I know that?? (guess my dad told me) (ha)

So Linda was really….my step sister & Ray …was her son….(I saw Ray last. (he was home for a short furlough) & he stood at the curb in front of “Leons” the custard stand on S. 27^th and Oklahoma where Ray finally got picked up- for a ride….my brother Gil—met up w/ Ray a few times in Europe…?Gary—

?? I mustve written this part of a letter….

I wrote to Ray…..??

A few packages on the way, that is if some rear-echelon Joe hasn’t broken into them.

I guess that’s all for now as I have a few more letters to write.  Ignore the address on the envelope as I cant waste dismail stamps. My  correct A.P.O

PVT Raymond Berg (16093147)

Co “D” -48^th Tank Bn.

A.P.O – 446 % Postmaster

New York –N.Y.

-Answer soon- by now

                                                Love

                                                            Ray

---

 [SM1]Page 11.  The most confusing letter since I strongly believe he is randomly answering a bunch of questions that we do not know from a letter he received from “gram”.

(end of letter)

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Observations by Opa Fritz

1) Well, Ray's time overseas is almost at an end. His time is almost at an end but he doesn't know it yet. He's seen a lot in his short time over there.

2) The portion of the letter where he talks about the 'who's who' in the family is confusing to all of us and there are no more living relatives to shed light on the confusion. When my dad's first wife (Ray's biological mother) passed away, my dad stayed close to her family and I grew up thinking of her brother's and sister's as my aunt's and uncles. In hind-sight, all of this should have been done many years ago, but.......